Getting Personal

Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Reflection of Tommy:

What does it means to have a personal relationship with God? There are usually two extremes in where our relationship with God is, it is either we spend so much time accumulating knowledge and human wisdom that we have never truly know Him personally or we put Him second after other things or people in our lives.

But as we read today's passage, we learn that knowing Christ personally is the single greatest wisdom anyone could have. Are we ready and willing to wisely accept this offer from God today? Are we able to set aside all our other temporal pursuits and truly come to the crucified and risen Christ, receiving eternal life and joy of a personal relationship with Him.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding the unimaginable importance of having a close and personal relationship with Jesus. Thank You that You revealed to me that Christ is my Lord and Savior (Matthew 16:15-17). Father, lead me to live a life that fully reflects this reality, to be transformed by the renewing of my mind in Christ Jesus. In His mighty Name I pray, Amen.

Visible Reminders

Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Reflection of Tommy:

There are few verses I memorized by hard in the Bible. There are not some magical mantra but they help me in remembering God's promises and His encouragement for my steps of obedience to Him.

Dear Father, thank You for Your Word that guide and lead my ways. Forgive me of not being diligent and obedient in seeking Your Word closely. Lord, lead me to take time each day to read, study and meditate on Your Word. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

“That Ain’t It!”

Read Isaiah 55:6-9

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near." - Isaiah 55:6

Reflection of Tommy:

Isaiah tells us in today’s passage to seek God when He is near (v6). But often, daily distractions and noises from the world cause us to lose sight of God’s direction and purpose for our lives here.

We allow ourselves to easily drift away and to settle for things that are inferior, perishable and unreliable to what God is offering us. We foolishly think our ways are better and trying hard to fit God into our mold- making His plans and purposes conform to ours.

We should not repeat what the people of Israel did but to strive each God-given day to fit into His plans and purposes for us. Seek God and His truths today; acknowledge that His ways and thoughts are far higher (v9) than ours and begin trusting Him to be in control of all our situations.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that Your ways are far greater than anything I can see with my dim eyesight. Teach me to trust You more and to leave all things into Your hands through my prayers. Guide my ways through the Holy Spirit that I will do what You’ve planned for me in this life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Imitate Me

Read 1 Corinthians 4:9-17

Reflection of Tommy:

In today’s passage, Paul reminded the Corinthians that no preacher of God has higher status or greater than another. This is because they focused entirely onto individual leaders (Paul, Apolloes, Peter, etc.) instead of emulating their Christlike qualities. Thus, they created division and became spiritually proud; feeling themselves more superior to others.

Similarly, we can learn to imitate the Christlike qualities from our leaders or mentors. It will help us tremendously if we are willing to learn those aspects of their beliefs and conduct that were modeling Christ’s way of living. But, we should be aware of not in any way ‘glorifying’ these leaders and boast about being tied to them because they are simply a humble servant of God.

Dear Father, thank You for all those faithful servant of Yours that have provided so much guidance and example of what and how to be a true disciple of Christ. Teach me to be open to advice and leading of these ‘mentors’ and be in check always to focus on imitating their Christlike qualities. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Listen, Know and Follow

John 10:14-30

14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

19At these words the Jews were again divided. 20Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"

21But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

The Unbelief of the Jews
22Then came the Feast of Dedication[a] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[b] tell us plainly."

25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."

Reflection of Bee:

As Christians, sometimes we get frustrated when we couldn't breakthrough to non-believers or even to some believers when we tried to witness or testify for Christ to them. We wonder why they just can't believe or understand what we are saying. Tonight's devotion reminds us that it's normal because they are not the "sheep" of Jesus, and therefore they can't hear His voice (v26,27).

Jesus did not say my lamb, but my SHEEP, hear my voice. That means, in order to hear God's voice we need to grow up spiritually instead of remaining as babes in spiritual things. To grow, we need to read the bible and pray daily just like new born babies need to drink milk and then progress to eating solid food in order to grow well.

The "sheep" of Jesus not only LISTEN to His voice, but also KNOW Him and FOLLOW Him (verse 27). For that no one can snatch the "sheep" from Jesus' hand.... the basis for eternal security (v28,29).


Dear Lord,
Thank You for revealing to me this truth again tonight that I can be secured in Your hands when I become Your sheep. Teach me to listen, know and follow You as I put my hands in Yours. I want to know Your will and follow Your leading. Give me grace to do be obedient.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

There are times we doubt whether we’ll be eternally secured in God’s hand. We are afraid of missing the mark and losing God’s gift of salvation due to our failure. We may be discouraged and quit growing in our walk with God. But from today’s passage, we learn that Jesus, like a shepherd that protects his sheep. We can be assured that He will give us firm, everlasting safety and protection from eternal harm when we sincerely choose to follow Him.

Dear Father, thank You for Your constant guidance and leading. Thank You for supplying me with both Your wisdom and peace to deal with all situation in my life. Lord, guard my heart and mind always from all forms of distraction and enticement that may lead me away from You. Teach me to follow my Shepherd wherever He led me to. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Fickle Followers

Matthew 27:15-23

15Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."

20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

21"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor.
"Barabbas," they answered.

22"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"

23"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

Reflection of Bee:

What did Jesus do wrong?

To the crowd, there is no need to give a reason for crucifying Jesus (v23). To them, the right things that Jesus did were deemed 'wrong'. That means He had been crucified as an innocent man.

"What crime" have I committed?

That's the same question I asked myself when my once upon 'best friend' became so cold towards me and treated me as if I am in non-existence. I became 'just friend' or 'just acquaintance' suddenly. It's very hurting to be suddenly treated that way without a reason. What did I do wrong to deserve such treatment? I don't know. Self-doubts, self-condemnation, self-anger set in.... and I felt 'crucified'.... :(

The same fickle followers of Christ then, were no different from the fickle minded ones today. They choose to believe what they want to believe in their own fancies and benefits. However, in yesterday's devotion Joy of True Friendship and Love we learned what it meant to be true followers of Christ, to be true friends, to love and to experience Christ's joy.

Tonight's devotion reminded me that if Christ was treated that way (crucified) by the people who claimed to be His follower earlier, it shouldn't be a surprise to me when I am treated similarly by people whom I trusted and thought close to me. I can only pray that God will show them what it means to be true disciples of Christ.


Dear Lord,
Your servant (me) will never be greater than the Master(You). Let me take heart that whatever I had been through You had already gone through them. You understand how I feel. Thank You that all those bad experiences help me understand the betrayal You had experienced and how hurtful You must had been.
Let me not be another fickle follower myself but be steadfast in loving, in befriending, in experiencing Your joy no matter come what may. Teach me to die to self and live to Christ.
I pray that You will bless those who have hurt me. I pray that Your love in me will help them repent and follow Your command.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

Like the crowds, we too at times like a fickle follower of Christ. Our commitment and obedience to Him easily waver and inconsistent with what we proclaimed. We can be shouting praise to Him on Sunday and reject His teachings and leading the rest of the week; ignoring His presence and His Word in our lives.

To be a true follower of Christ, we need to keep a close relationship with Him each day; obeying all His commands and giving Him all our thanks, praise, worship. Like what summarized in today’s Daily Bread – “Worshiping God should be a full-time experience for us”.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to walk my talk each day, consistently. Forgive me for the times I wandered and doubted. Teach me that I may learn to truly live out my faith as a follower of Christ and to walk closely with Him by the power of Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Which Way Am I Growing?

Galatians 6:7-10

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature^[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Reflection of Bee:

Tonight we are reminded of the principle of retribution or reaping what we sow. It is a comfort to those who seek to do right despite all odds.

There were many times I felt being unjustly treated but each time God reminded me that vengeance is His, He will repay accordingly. Whoever treated me unjustly will receive what they sowed. Sometimes, the ones that do that to me may be Christians whom I have trusted. Yes, I felt very disappointed, hurt and sad. But then again, they are still my brothers and sisters in Christ and I will leave it to God to due with them. I am to do good to them instead.


Dear Lord,
Though it may seems hard to accept that even Christians can do things to hurt me badly, yet I know that I am to do good to them. I pray for your strength and grace to forgive and bless those who hurt me. May You lead them to the path You want them to go and may Your love touches them.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:

Sometimes, we tend to ignore what we sow, thinking our action will have no or little negative effect on us or on others. But, Paul made it clear in today’s passage that if we always sow to please our sinful nature, we’ll reap crop of sorrow, evil and destruction. We may not yet realize the consequences of our action, but sooner or later it will be too late for us to mend the situation.

Paul then teaches us instead of merely sowing to please our own desires; we should sow to please God. By doing so, we will reap true joy, fulfillment and everlasting life with God.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that every action has results and everything I do matter. Teach me not to be shortsighted and reckless but to have an eternal perspective on anything I do. Lord, continue to guide me to abide in You, sowing what pleases You and submitting all my wills to You each day. I pray You will continue to provide me the strength to live for You and for others; to grow in Your grace and kindness. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Number Our Days

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.

2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn men back to dust,
saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."

4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death;
they are like the new grass of the morning-

6 though in the morning it springs up new,
by evening it is dry and withered.

7 We are consumed by your anger
and terrified by your indignation.

8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.

10 The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span [a] is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

11 Who knows the power of your anger?
For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

12 Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.

16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendor to their children.

17 May the favor [b] of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.

Reflection of Bee:

God's term of reference is different from ours. He is immortal, we are mortal. He is eternal, we are transient. His 1-day is our 1000x365-days (v4). That explains why we can't see what He sees. We tend to see the present but He could see our future and have allowed things to happen in our life for our good. For this we could sing for joy.

Yes, we also need God's favour, otherwise the things we do may not be established (v17).

Dear Lord,
I commit all my works and plans to You now. Teach me to number my days and walk in Your favour.
I pray for Your unfailing love to be with me every morning too, that I may sing for joy throughout the day.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

Psalm 90 written by Moses is probably the oldest Psalm of all. Nevertheless, it contains a timeless, important truth about our time on earth being short and that we should spend it on things that are eternal. But so often, we find ourselves concentrating and channeling all our time and energy on things that are perishable and of little value. We should take time and effort to number our day (v12), to spend them wisely each day, realizing how fragile our lives really are and the urgency of God’s message for us.

Dear Father, thank You that because You are eternal, completely in control and unrestricted by time (v4), I can depend and trust on You. Forgive me of often blinded by the pursuit of temporal fulfillment that I lost track of being an effective follower of Christ. Guide and remind me always to spend my time more wisely and for eternal good. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

What’s The Cost?

Luke 14:25-33

The Cost of Being a Disciple
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.I

28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Reflection of Bee:

To be a disciple of Christ costs all that we have, all that we love, and all that we are. Even though I have been following Christ for many years, there are still struggles once in a while to surrender my all to Him.

Perhaps I can surrender my wealth but to surrender people I loved may be quite difficult because it touches my heart where my 'treasure' is. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21). Material things don't move me for I eat to live and not live to eat.

The devil knows my weakness and God knows my heart. The one I treasured most have been taken away from me. It still pains me whenever I think about it. Yet I need to learn to replace what I treasured most with God. This is the "cross" I have to bear.

Dear Lord,
You know my heart, my struggle, my pain, and my longing. Give me strength as I learn to take up my "cross " and follow You. May You give me grace and mercy to do what I should and not give in to the evil one.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:

On the surface, these shocking statement by Jesus (v26) seem to be contradictory to many other clear teachings of Scripture about hate (1 John 3:15, 1 John 4:20, Matthew 22:39). We are even called to love our enemies in Matthew 5:43-44. So unless Scripture contradicts itself, Jesus cannot mean “hate” in the conventional sense. Fortunately, this “hate” passage is clarified when we examine Matthew 10:37-38 which Jesus speaks on the same subject.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

We learn that Jesus doesn’t mean that we should not love our closed ones in any sense as they are good gifts of God; but we should never love them or ourselves more than Him. We commit idolatry whenever we put something above of God. To be disciples of Jesus Christ, our love, obedience and loyalty for Him must come first. So, when even the dearest family wants us to do something that is the opposite of what Jesus wants for us; we must remain faithful to Jesus, not the family member.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that being a disciple of Christ is a major and difficult endeavor that requires total commitment and submission. Lord, give me the strength, wisdom and peace to remain faithful and obedient to You when I’m tempted to quit because of suffering or rejection. Teach me to always set my priority right by putting You first in everything; and trusting You to take care of all my needs. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The Power Of Influence

Matthew 5:1-16

The Beatitudes
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Reflection of Bee:

The above Beatitudes are so comforting to me as I am feeling quite tired with office politics that are going on. Tonight's devotion reminds me that I don't have to worry too much about what others do or say but just remain faithful to God's words, be the light and salt of the world (v13 & 14). Even if people try to say say all kinds of evil against me because I hold fast to God's word, I will be "blessed".

Yes, "blessed are those who mourn" (v4) for God will always comfort our heart when we cry out to Him. Thank God for always hearing my cry to Him.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your words of comfort and assurance. I pray that Your words will remain in my heart as I go about doing my work in my office. I pray that I will be Your light and salt all the time.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.




Reflection of Tommy:

What are the traits we need to cultivate as a disciple of Jesus Christ? In Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, He described a list of beatitudes that tell us how to be blessed; the experience of hope and joy that are independent of our outward circumstances. We can see how directly contradictory each beatitude is to the worldly values of selfishness, pride and lust. It challenges the way we live each day to willingly follow Jesus with true humility and obedience, no matter what the cost may be.

Dear Father, thank You for showing to me the clashing values of society typical way of life to a life of true discipleship. Guard my heart and mind always from the influences and temptation of this world that are in conflict with the traits and attitude You wanted me to have. Lord, continue to lead and change me daily to be Your salt and light to the world. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The Price Of A Soul

Matthew 16:24-28

24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Reflection of Bee:

Each of us has a "cross" of our own. This "cross" is the price we have to pay for following Jesus Christ. It may be the bad habits or thoughts we have to give up, or our possessions, or time, or personal ambitions, or people we loved, etc, that God wants us to surrender to Him.

It's not an easy cross to carry yet Jesus promised that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He wants us to go to Him so He can give us rest. If we try to avoid carrying this cross, we may ended up losing our life instead.

Dear Lord,
I have a very heavy cross to carry since the day I accepted You as my Saviour. Yet You have always help me to carry it whenever it is too hard for me to bear. You have never leave me nor forsake me. Even now I want to come to You and surrender myself and my all to You. I want to find rest and peace in You.
I pray the same for my 'bf' who is struggling too. May Your peace and rest be with Him as he surrender his life to You. Keep him from the snare of the evil one and grant him victory over him.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:
Some Christians think that only unbelievers’ life will be reviewed and evaluated when Christ returns. But the truth is we will still face judgment by God even though our salvation is secure. Jesus will look at how we have handled our gifts, opportunities and responsibilities in order to determine our heavenly rewards (v27).

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me not to merely claim to be a Christian but does not live a life as a true disciple of Christ. Teach me how to truly devote my life in service for your kingdom. Guide me in all my words and actions, that I may always bring glory and honor to You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.